Obsession
by Habit
Summary: Dedicated to ScreamingMelody154: "I never believed the stories about vampires told to me as a child. To me, they were just that: stories. I always thought they were just something Hollywood latched onto to make a quick buck." "I don't understand...what's a cursed one? You mean a vampire?" "In a sense, yes. Cursed ones could be considered vampires by modern humans." An AU one shot.


**A/N: This is a request fic from ScreamingMelody154. This reader requested that I do a vampire fic, so I put my own twist on it. I hope you all enjoy it. I spent a while outlining this so that I could keep things straight, but if you see mistakes, please let me know and I will be sure to correct them, as I was distracted by children while writing. ScreamingMelody154, I hope you enjoy this story that was written specifically for you :) As always, I only own the plot but not the characters from the original Naruto manga/anime. That honor belongs only to Masashi Kishimoto, and may I commend him on his expert character concepts and development.**

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><p><em><strong><span>Obsession<span>**_

I never believed the stories about vampires told to me as a child. To me, they were just that: stories. I watched the movies: Bram Stoker's _Dracula_, John Carpenter's _Vampires_, and all the _other_ main stream vampire flicks. I always thought they were just something Hollywood latched onto to make a quick buck. I even visited Hollywood, just to see what all the hype was about. I wasn't really all that impressed, honestly.

But then I started doing missionary work in western Europe and I started hearing eerie accounts of people disappearing without a trace. I'd signed on as a doctor for several missionary trips that centered around the Ukraine, Slovakia, and Romania. I know, I know, you're probably thinking of the same stereotype _every_ other person does when it comes to Romania: Transylvania, birthplace of Dracula. I thought I was prepared for anything that would be thrown my way in terms of vampires or vampirism. I'd seen what the media had to offer; the dramatizations of Hollywood. But nothing could have prepared me for the trek to a small village in the Carpathian Mountains with a major medical problem. The issue: anemia.

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><p>"That's the fifth young woman <em>today <em>with similar bruising and a low platelet count. I'm really starting to wonder what the hell is going on here." A young woman sighed, pushing her waist length hair out of her face. Throughout the long day, most of the hair had escaped the messy bun she'd tied it back in earlier.

"Seriously? Have you _seen_ what these people eat, Sakura? It's no wonder they're suffering anemia. Their diet consists of roots, the occasional meat, and whatever else they scrounge up in the forest. The low blood count can be attributed to that." A young man with hard black eyes and a bored expression sat back in the chair provided in their makeshift lab. It was little more than four walls with a roof. It didn't even have a door.

The young woman rolled her eyes as the young man picked up what looked like a bouncy ball and threw it against one wall, causing the whole structure to shake. It bounced back and he caught it easily, ignoring her irritated glare. He repeated this process two more times before the woman reached out, intercepting the ball from returning to him. She gripped it tightly as she scowled at him.

"While that may be a _contributing_ factor, Sasuke, that still doesn't explain why it's _only_ the haematids that are low. Everything else is perfectly fine. And what about those strange bruises? Have _you_ ever seen bruises like that?" She noticed the young man arch his brow before an arrogant smirk graced his lips. He stood and leaned towards her, his hands balancing his weight on the stainless lab table separating them.

"As a matter of fact, I have." He purred, giving her a once over. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what he meant by that. She'd slept with him once, just _once_, and he hadn't let her forget about it. She didn't really have feelings for him, but she'd been drinking after their shared near death experience earlier in the day and when he'd approached her for a one night stand, well…

She shook her head and pursed her lips. "I'm telling you Sasuke, there is something weird about those marks. It's like they've been…bitten." She noticed the perverse smirk that stretched his lips and she huffed in exasperation. "Cripes, you are _so_ irritating, you know that? This isn't about our _one_ night together! This isn't even about sex at all! The brother of one of the women said that he'd found his sister passed out in their barn. He described the wound to me before it healed and it sounds like these women are being fed on by something."

The black haired man rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not _this_ again. Look, I know you're a _huge_ vampire fan and all, but seriously? Vampires _don't_ exist, Sakura." Emerald eyes flashed angrily before the girl pushed her glasses up on top of her head and crossed her arms over her own chest.

"No shit, Sherlock. I wasn't about to suggest vampires. Everyone knows that corpses don't reanimate and drink blood. I was _suggesting_ that maybe we should have the villagers keep an eye out for any large predatory animals that could take down a full grown woman." Sakura rolled her eyes and then turned back to the slide she'd been examining not long ago. As she examined it, a frown stretched her lips and she grunted in confusion.

"That's weird…" She lifted her head and looked over her shoulder at Sasuke. "Hey, take a look at this." She stepped aside as he got up and walked over to the station she was working at. He arched a brow and was about to crack a joke about her only wanting him near her, but the seriousness on her face told him that wasn't the case. He looked down at the slide she'd been examining and he stared for a moment. It was then he noticed something strange: there was something attaching itself to the platelets.

"What the hell is that? It looks like some kind of bug hiding on the platelets." Sakura nodded and pushed her way past him to examine the slide under the microscope once more.

"I don't think it's a bug. Most insects aren't microscopic to this level. I was thinking maybe a virus, but this seems to be living. It's moving independently, almost like it's seeking something out. Maybe a bacteria?" She murmured as she fine tuned the eyepieces to get a better look at the anomaly. She arched her brow as she searched for it again, but couldn't find it. Did it disappear? Or die? She bit her lip and looked over at Sasuke. "It's gone." She noticed his confused look and he pushed her aside slightly.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone? Like you can't find it or like it died?" His tone insinuated she was inept. Wouldn't be the first time his tone had indicated his utter disregard for her intelligence. Another reason why she wouldn't sleep with him _ever_ again.

"Like one minute I was looking at it and the next it was just _not_ there." She hissed at him and bit her thumbnail. She often did this when stumped by something. A friend from high school, Shikamaru, had called it her 'thinking pose'. She tuned out everything around her while she mentally categorized the many different types of bacteria she'd come across in her years of missionary work. Her head snapped up as one type of bacteria came to mind.

"Wait, I've seen something similar to this." She stated and walked over to the cot she'd been sleeping on the past two weeks. She rifled through her meager belongings and pulled a thick, leather-bound journal out. She flipped a few pages and she nodded. "Yes, I thought so. Here, look at this." She pushed the book into Sasuke's face, showing him her notes from seven years ago.

He stared at the journal and made a confused face at her. "Aaaaannnnd, what? What is it I'm supposed to be understanding here?" Sakura rolled her eyes and pointed to an underlined word: cannibalism. She noticed his eyes widen and she nodded.

"I encountered a strangely behaving bacteria in the Amazon seven years ago after a villager claimed to have escaped a tribe of cannibals. He said that one of the cannibals had bitten him and that he'd gotten very sick afterwards. I found a strange bacteria in his blood. I was never able to identify it, but I'm sure it has something to do with cannibalism. Perhaps a bacteria developed after long term consumption of human flesh?" She was back to mumbling to herself as she flipped through her journal, trying to find anything else that would give her clues.

"Sakura, I highly doubt there would be cannibals in this part of the world. Most of those cases her in warm climates where-" Sakura's head snapped up when someone rushed into the room with them, panicked.

"Doctor, come quickly! There's been another attack!" Sakura's eyes widened and she looked over at Sasuke, whose eyes also widened. Sakura grabbed her medical kit while Sasuke grabbed his rifle. They followed the villager out the doorway and Sakura pursed her lips. The man had said _another_ attack. Did that mean they weren't telling her everything?

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><p>Sakura stared at the scene with incredulity. There wasn't a drop of blood anywhere, but it was obvious the man had been ripped apart by <em>something<em>. Sakura put her gloves on and went over to the remains, examining them carefully. Chucks of what had probably once been a virile young man were strewn around in no particular pattern. It was like whatever did this had been enraged at the victim. Sakura looked over when she heard muffled sobbing. A young woman was huddled by several villagers, weeping. Sakura's brows knitted and she walked over to the woman.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked in choppy Romanian. The young woman shook her head and pointed at the remains, speaking very rapidly. Sakura looked over at Sasuke for translation. He arched a brow and looked over at Sakura.

"She said she was heading into the village when the young man, our victim there, had jumped out of the trees and grabbed her. He'd pinned her against the tree and tried to force her legs apart." Sakura put her hand over her mouth as Sasuke pursed his lips. The woman was still talking very quickly, with intermittent sobs.

"She says that when she tried to scream, he'd pressed one hand over her nose and mouth while the other had pinned her hands above her head. She struggled but he was too strong. She says she'd just given up hope when something had jumped on the man's back, causing him to scream in agony. She says she ran for her life, not once looking back to see what attacked the man." Sakura looked over her shoulder at the strewn mess that had once been an attempted rapist. She ground her teeth slightly and looked over at Sasuke, her light green eyes darkening to a deep emerald in anger. Sasuke noticed her eyes darken and begin to sparkle as outrage laced through her. She was so easy to predict that he just sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll get some gloves and take care of Humpty Dumpty over there."

Sakura nodded and wordlessly turned back to the young woman who'd been the dead man's intended victim. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to remember the limited Romanian Sasuke had taught her. He said he enjoyed her having to rely on him in order to understand what was going on. She looked at the girl and scooted closer. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" The girl shook her head hesitantly and looked up at the person she was huddled against. Oddly enough, it was a woman with blonde hair. Most of the people in this area, at least all the one's she'd been working with, had dark hair and eyes. This woman had wheat colored blonde hair and eyes so dark a blue she'd have sworn they were black.

"Matsuri is fine." Sakura arched a brow. The girl was Japanese? She looked down at the girl, who looked up at the blonde. The older female said something to the girl and she nodded, bowing slightly before walking back the way she'd been heading. It was the blonde that looked at Sakura then. "Matsuri's family has served mine for many generations. My family moved here many centuries ago from Japan. Naturally, her family followed." Sakura nodded and watched the girl head back up the path towards the mountains.

"Will she be alright? When the villager came and got me he mentioned there'd been other attacks." Sakura noticed the woman's eyes narrow before she shook her head.

"My brother is with her. He will escort her back to our estate." Sakura looked over and noticed a tall figure walking by the young woman, who kept her head down in a subservient manner. Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"Well where was he when she was attacked?" The indignation was clear in her tone and it seemed to amuse the blonde woman, because she chuckled quietly. Sakura looked at the woman, who shook her head.

"Matsuri snuck out of the estate to come into town to buy a birthday gift for my youngest brother. Had my other brother not seen her leaving from an upstairs window, we may not be having this discussion right now. We'd have never known she'd left." Sakura sighed as she put two and two together.

"So he ran into her as she was fleeing back towards your estate." The blonde canted her head to the side before nodding.

"Correct. He said that he heard the noises of a wild animal right before Matsuri had run into him. He said she looked terrified. He came back this way to see what had become of her attacker." Sakura sighed and looked over her shoulder. The scene was cleaned up now, thanks to Sasuke, but she didn't think she'd ever get the image of the young man torn into so many shreds our of her mind. Her lips pursed as she remembered that the young man whose body was being pieced back together had attempted to rape a young woman barely out of her teens.

"I'd say he got what he deserved." She grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. She heard a chuckle and looked over at the blonde, who looked amused.

"You are very interesting, for an outsider." Sakura arched a brow at the blonde, who turned to leave. Before walking away, the blonde woman regarded her with laughing blue-black eyes. "I look forward to seeing you again, Haruno Sakura." Sakura's green eyes widened in shock, her mouth dropping open slightly, as the woman who she was pretty sure she'd not introduced herself to called her by her given name.

As the woman walked down the road and disappeared, only one thing went through Sakura's mind that managed to make it out of her mouth. "What the hell?"

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><p>Cold jade eyes watched three people approach the house. One was that insufferable twit who worked for the family-Matsuri?-the other only female in the household besides his sister, who currently had one pale arm around the girl. The last was the dark figure of his tall, obnoxious brother. Around the villagers, his brother was quiet and reserved. But here, at the house…those jade eyes closed as the door downstairs slammed shut and chaos erupted.<p>

"What were you _thinking_ you silly girl?! You could have been killed! Or worse, bitten! You know the clans are at war!" His brother's voice echoed throughout the house, until it invaded his sanctuary in the attic.

"I..I just…I w-wanted to g-get a p-present for M-Master G-Gaara." Jade eyes snapped open and he turned, his body rigid with anger, disappearing before he ever reached the door. As he materialized downstairs, the three standing in the foyer scattered. His sister grabbed the little servant girl, shielding her from his anger. His eyes blazed an angry gold as he glared at the girl, baring his fangs.

"Your foolish human concepts put this family in danger! Did it ever occur to you that the clans could trace you back here and use you to bypass our security measures?" He noticed the girl shivering in fear. Apparently she'd had no idea. His eyes narrowed, and he was about to say more, when his sister intervened.

_"Gaara, Matsuri is human, she can't conceive how our powers work. She has no idea that she could be used as a proverbial key to walk straight through our safeguards."_ Gaara's jade eyes snapped over to his sister as she used their native language, so that Matsuri would not understand what they were discussing. The young human female was sniffling and cowering by her mistress.

Gaara looked over his shoulder at his brother, who gulped slightly. _"You will keep an eye on her. She is your responsibility now."_ He looked back over at his sister, about to say more, when a sweet scent caught his attention. He froze, his nose lifting slightly as he tried to track where the scent was coming from.

"What is that?" He asked as he turned in circles, trying to figure out where the scent was coming from. He stepped closer to his sister, who arched one brow at him. She moved slightly and he caught the scent again. He stepped close to her, grabbing her wrist. He took a deep breath, but he no longer smelled it. He turned an almost frantic look on her. "What is that smell?" He demanded, lifting his nose into the air once more. He noticed both his siblings regarding him with surprise.

"What smell? What are you talking about, Gaara?" Gold met black as he stared his brother down.

"That sweet smell. It smells like…" He closed his eyes and shook his head. What was going on? Why was he so excited by this smell? He was even becoming _aroused_ by the scent. A whimper had him looking over at his sister's little servant and suddenly the scent hit him full bore. Gaara grabbed the girl and inhaled deeply. He could smell the familiar scent of the girl, but there was something else. Something…exotic.

He could hear his sister protesting and he looked over at her, his eyes glazed. "Who touched her?" He noticed his sister's mouth hang open slightly and she stuttered. It was his brother that answered.

"I caught a man pinning her to a tree. I read his intentions and I got rid of him." Gaara's eyes narrowed as he looked back at the little female that served his sister. He shook his head slightly.

"No…I smell _him_ too. Sweat and hay. This scent…it's sweet. Like the sweet crème you used to sneak me growing up. Before the curse claimed us all." The last part of his sentence was so soft that he knew Matsuri's human ears wouldn't pick it up. But his sibling's inhuman senses never missed a thing.

"Gaara, that's impossible. That was over three thousand years ago." Temari said quietly, looking away as she said it. Immortality had it's cons. She gasped when she felt her brother's intense gaze on her. She looked down at her feet as he glared.

"Yes, _dear_ sister, I realize that. It does not change the fact that this scent that only I seem to be picking up is reminiscent of my only fond childhood memories." He heard his brother shift and looked over at the brunette, who wouldn't look him in the eyes. Gold narrowed on the older male before he released the girl and turned to confront his brother. "You know something." He noticed his brother look up nervously.

"Well, it's not that I _know_ something. It's just…well, kind of a guess, I suppose." Gaara's eyes narrowed on his brother and he hissed.

"Well, _speak_." He noticed his brother look up at him, licking his lips out of habit.

"I once heard that when a cursed one finds their mate, the cursed one starts to smell something that reminds them of their mortality." A gasp had him looking over his shoulder at his sister, who was staring with wide eyes.

"I remember father speaking with me of that as well. He said that those with the curse only have one mate and that it isn't always someone from the era in which they are born. Father was centuries older than your mother." Gaara looked between his siblings before that sweet smell invaded his mind once more. He growled low in his throat and looked over at his siblings once more.

"_Who_ touched the servant girl?" He noticed both his siblings stare at him in shock before looking at one another. It was all he could do not to roar at them.

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><p>Sakura sighed and rubbed at her eyes. She'd been staring at a computer screen for the last three and a half hours. It was <em>well<em> past midnight and she was pretty sure than Sasuke was going to be out all night drinking away his sorrows. He'd made a pass at her, _again_, and she'd bluntly told him that after their _last_ encounter, she had no interest in him that way. He'd sulked for hours before finally wandering off to the village's only pub; a small inn on the southeast side.

That left her here, by herself, with only the strange findings of the last two months as her company. With a sigh, she rolled her shoulders, intent on staying for the long haul. She had a ton of work that she needed to do and not a lot of time to do it in. The villagers needed her to figure out what was causing this and to stop it before someone ended up dead. Well, someone _besides_ an attempted rapist, that is.

She nodded once and looked back down at the slide via the microscope and examined other blood samples she'd gathered. It seemed every villager, whether man, woman, or child, had those strange bacteria-like anomalies that would be there one minute and vanish the next. That led her to believe that it was probably something only those of this area possessed. She was about to examine another slide when she got the eerie feeling she was being watched. She lifted her head and looked around, but she couldn't find anyone around. But the feeling of being watched persisted.

It became so strong, in fact, that it was nearly impossible to concentrate on her work. She felt stalked…like she was a little rabbit being singled out by a hungry wolf. She snorted at her assessment and reached over for her custom tonfas. Hey, she may have grown up in the United States, but her parents were Japanese. She was proficient with martial arts, both unarmed and weapons based. And these had cost her a pretty penny when she'd declared her intention to volunteer her medical knowledge to the local missionaries. Her father had insisted on her traveling with a weapon that was easily concealed. Tonfas were her weapon of choice.

Feeling slightly more secure now that her custom tonfas were on hand, she went back to studying the blood sample on the slide. She bit her lip when she felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She jerked her head up to find an unfamiliar dark haired man staring at her from the entrance of her 'lab'. Her eyes narrowed on him. "This building is off limits to non-personnel. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She noticed the man arch a brow before he smirked at her. She didn't know if he thought that funny or if he was trying to charm his way further inside. Either way, it was pissing her off.

"I saw you earlier today, speaking with a particular woman. Do you know her well? Are you part of her family? A servant perhaps?" It was Sakura's turn to arch a brow at this. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

"I don't serve anyone, buster. I'm a doctor from the United States. I'm here doing freelance medical research, trying to figure out why all the people of this area are suffering from a strange bout of anemia." She then lifted her hand and pointed at him, her eyes narrowing. "And _you_ are not allowed in here. You could contaminate my findings. Leave, before I have to call security." She noticed a flash of something in his eyes, something not quite human, and she stiffened. It only lasted a few short seconds, but it was enough to put her on her guard.

"If you are speaking of the dark haired man that wandered into the inn, he is currently…indisposed." There was something insidious about this man's words. She suddenly became _very_ worried about Sasuke.

"If you've hurt him, I swear I'll fry your ass." She hissed and pushed her lab coat aside just enough to reveal her custom tonfas. She noticed the male arch a brow before chuckling.

"I assure you, my dear, your friend is in no danger. Unlike yourself." Sakura's eyes widened as the man jumped at her. That had to be a good ten to twelve feet separating them and he was clearing it easily. _What. The. Hell?!_ Sakura dodged the man jumping at her and pulled out her tonfas. She noticed the man chuckle, until she hit activation buttons on the end. Suddenly, the tonfas started crackling with electricity. She glared at the male.

"I don't know what you want, but I won't go down without a fight." A deep chuckle behind her had her whirling, but it wasn't in time to protect her from the large male wrapping his arms around her, pinning her own arms to her sides. She clicked her tonfas' activation button again and cut the electricity before she fried herself. She heard the man from before hiss angrily.

"So, they _actually_ let you out, did they? I would have thought they'd keep you locked away in that attic of yours." The male behind her chuckled once more and she gasped. Something about his voice had her feeling like panting. What on earth was it about this man that had her hot in mere seconds? She blushed when she felt a rumble come from his chest and he inhaled, his nose tickling just above her shoulder.

"Better to be in the attic than a shallow grave in a cave somewhere." Her eyes narrowed at this and she regarded the male in front of her. What kind of animosity existed between the male before her and the male behind her? A chuckle had her stiffening as the male in front of her narrowed his eyes on her.

"You don't even acknowledge what we are, much less understand the deep rooted hatred that binds us." A growl from the male behind her vibrated through her body, making her gasp. She bit her lip to keep from embarrassing herself. The male behind her purred before lifting his head to glare at the male in front of them.

"What _I_ am is very different from what _you_ are, Jacques. Never forget that." She noticed the dark eyes of the man standing before her narrow dangerously, that inhuman light shining in them again. She gasped when he sneered at the male behind her, baring lethal looking fangs.

"You are no different from I, Sabaku, and you know it! The blood lust possesses you even more so than any of my clansmen." She gasped at that. Blood lust? And with fangs like that, it would be easy for the…_creature_…before her to cause the wounds she'd recorded that was linked to the anemia. There was an angry grunt from behind her.

"The difference between us, _nosferatu_, is that _I_ can control it. _You_ allow yourself to be controlled by _it_." Sakura's eyes widened as the eyes of the male in front of her snapped a demonic red and he hurled himself at the male behind her. She gasped as she was shoved to the floor while the two males fought. She scrambled out of her temporary lab on her hands and knees while crashes confirmed her dread that her lab was being destroyed. Better a few samples than her, she supposed. She cried out as she felt a hand twist painfully in the hair on the back of her head. She was jerked up by what looked like an effeminate man. However, when the figure spoke, it was clearly female.

"Jacques, I have the girl!" Sakura gasped as something came flying out the window of her lab, landing not far from her and the woman holding her captive. It was the male, Jacques. And he looked a little worse for wear. She watched through pain filled emerald eyes as the male, the one called Sabaku, stalked out of her lab looking like some fairytale prince. Or monster.

"I have your woman, Sabaku. Surrender, or I'll drain her!" Sakura felt cold whip through her. An anger so frigid she actually shivered. And she knew, for some reason, that it was coming from the male called Sabaku. She noticed his jade eyes lock with hers and her own widened at the challenge she saw inside of them. He was challenging her to defend herself. To prove herself. She stiffened in pure feminine outrage and suddenly hissed.

"I'm no fairytale princess; I don't need a _man_ to save me." She growled out and activated her tonfas again. She jerked her arm up and sent a silver blade plunging upwards into the lower jaw of the female holding her. She heard the male, Jacques, cry out angrily as she shoved the blade more forcefully, causing the tip to penetrate the top of the skull. The female went limp, releasing her hair. Sakura noticed the male rushing her and she activated the electricity in her tonfas, prepared to battle for her life.

Instead, she found the red haired male who'd held her barreling into the male before he even reached her. The red head was growling dangerously, his eyes glowing a vibrant gold. He snarled at the dark haired male, who seemed intent on getting to the female Sakura had stabbed. She looked over at the female and noticed that, while the blow should have been fatal, the female was still barely clinging to life. This was beyond crazy! She stiffened when she felt that feeling of being watched again.

_You must finish her off. If Jacques reaches her, he will flee and then you will be in even more danger._ Sakura's eyes widened at that. Was…was there someone talking to her in her mind?! She heard the chuckle, and it was filled with male amusement. _You do not even realize how special you are…Haruno Sakura…_

Her emerald eyes widened and she looked over at the male currently battling the one who'd attacked her. She pursed her lips and looked over at the female, who was looking over at the male, Jacques. Something inside Sakura flared and she looked over at the two fighting males. With determination, she walked over to the female, who looked up at her with fear. Sakura shook her head and looked at the two fighting males. She activated her tonfas and slammed them together, causing a loud boom that had both males cringing, their hands covering their ears. Sakura glared at both of them.

"I don't know what the _hell_ is going on, but I'm a doctor, I _save_ people, not _kill_ them. No matter _how_ freaky they may be." She glared at the red head before turning that smoldering emerald glare onto the dark male. "And as for _you_, I don't know _what_ the _hell_ possessed you to attack me, but I'm sparing what looks to be your wife. If you know what's good for the both of you, you'll leave and never show your faces here again. Otherwise, she's going to look like a tree after a lightning strike." She noticed the dark male eye her tonfas, which crackled with electricity, almost like an angry snake coiling around her forearms.

She noticed the dark male regard her before lowering his gaze. "I concede. We will not come for you again. However, leaving is not an option for us. This is all we have ever known." Sakura arched a brow and shook her head with a sigh.

"You should _seriously_ get out more. Explore the world a little. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem for people with…unique…talents such as yours." She noticed both males arch their brows and she lifted her chin. "Hey, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this. Give me a freaking break." She grumbled and put her hands on her hips. She noticed the red headed male regard her with intense eyes and it made her want to squirm. She sighed and looked over at the female, who was pushed up just enough to show Sakura that she was healing, despite the severity of her wound. Sakura _did_ squirm at that. "Cripes, lady…what are you, the bionic woman?"

A deep chuckle had her glaring over at the male who'd wrapped her up in his arms. It was the incredulous dark haired male that spoke, however. "You battled us without fully comprehending the situation. I believe the question is, what are _you_?" Sakura bristled at that and pointed one flashing tonfa at the male, who held up his hands in surrender.

"I'm _pissed off_, that's what I am. You destroyed my lab. I happen to take _very_ personal offense to that." She grumbled and looked over at the female she'd nearly decapitated. The female was staggering to her feet. She arched a brow at that. "So, I take it that you really _aren't_ normal people, huh?" She noticed the surprise in the female's eyes.

"You do not fear us. I sense no fear in you at all. Why?" Sakura just shrugged her shoulders and deactivated her tonfas.

"I grew up in the United States, land of zombie flicks and vampire films. The U.S. as a whole is extremely desensitized to things that exist in the horror genre." The mated pair looked at one another before looking at the red head.

"You have won the battle, Sabaku. The struggles between my clan and yours is over. But be warned…there are others that wish your destruction." Gaara watched Jacques disappear, as well as the little female that was his mate. That left just him and the brave little human woman standing there, alone. He looked over at her and smirked, showing one long fang. She glared at him and pointed at him with her tonfa.

"Don't get any ideas, buddy." She grumbled irately. He chuckled at that as he made his way closer to her.

"Too late for that, my dear. Nothing _but_ ideas have been filling my head since I picked your scent up off of the servant girl." Sakura's eyes widened at that. He could _smell_ her? She pursed her lips at that.

"Hey, I know bathing is a luxury here, but I happen to bathe _every day_." She hissed, making him chuckle once more. He regarded her with hooded eyes.

"Your personal hygiene, no matter how impressive, will not hide your base scent from me." Her eyes widened at that. Base scent? What the hell was that? She noticed him smirk at her again and irritation flooded her. She glared at him once more.

"You know if you're trying to impress me, poking fun at me isn't the way to do it." She noticed confusion flash in his eyes before it was well hidden.

"What is this 'poking fun' you speak of?" She arched a brow at him and rolled her eyes. Surely he was joking.

"Insulting me with your words." She noticed him arch-could that be called an eyebrow, really?-a brow before an imperialistic look crossed his face.

"I was not insulting you. I was merely stating fact. For my kind, the base scent is how we identify each other. It is also how we determine which clan one belongs to." It was Sakura's turn to be confused. 'His kind'? What, exactly, was that? She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard someone yell her name.

"Sakura! One of the villagers ran in and said you were being attack! Are you alright?" Sakura looked over her shoulder to see a slightly tipsy Sasuke running towards her. She looked back over at the male, who was no longer there. Her eyes widened. What the? She stiffened when she felt Sasuke touch her. She turned, causing his hand to slip off in the process, and faced him.

"Did you see anyone with me just now? A man about so tall, with red hair and blue-green eyes?" She noticed Sasuke regarding her strangely and she shook her head. "Never mind. Anyways, the lab is trashed. Someone _really_ doesn't want us completing this research." Sasuke arched a brow before reaching out and fingering something on her shoulder, where her lab coat had slipped down.

"I don't remember you having a tattoo here…" Sakura looked at her shoulder, pulling the neck of her shirt away a bit. There, on her shoulder and stretching up towards her neck, was a vibrant red 'Ai' kanji. Her eyes widened and she looked at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, I don't have _any_ tattoos…" She noticed him regard her before looking back at the mark. Something _weird_ was going on.

* * *

><p>Glowing jade eyes watched her from the tree tops. They also watched the male that was entirely too close to her. They narrowed on the male as a low growl came from the darkness. His little mate was a definite fire cracker. The male said something and he could feel rage radiate her small form. He heard the resounding crack of her slap, even as high up in the trees as he was. He could almost feel sorry for the male…<em>almost<em>. Smug satisfaction laced through him as his superior hearing caught bits and pieces of their conversation.

"You _don't_ need to comment on _that",_ "thank you very much." "But it's so nice-" Another crack heralded another red mark on the dark haired man's pale cheek. He smirked at the other male's misfortune. The male grumbled something he didn't pick up, but he could clearly see those dark eyes roving over the woman. He growled, fangs bared. She was _his_ mate, not the dark haired voyeur's. With a hiss, he disappeared, making his way back to the mansion before sunrise. He'd have much to do in order to claim his little mate. Preparations had to be made.

He appeared in the foyer, his jade eyes glowing with excitement. He'd have to call in the allied clans, so that they would know he was mated. They'd want to meet her after the change occurred. This caused him pause. His little mate seemed very spirited and not very susceptible to the idea of losing that independence.

He groaned and ran one hand through his thick red hair. He looked up when he heard his brother call his name. Dark eyes regarded him with urgency. He narrowed his eyes on the older male. "What's going on? Kankuro?" His brother looked over one shoulder, towards the room he'd just vacated.

"News of you defeating Jacques spread quickly. Jacques has gathered his kinsmen and they are migrating to the west. We're not sure of where yet, but…" Again, his brother looked over one shoulder.

"_But_?" He gritted out. His brother looked back at him, but something wasn't right. His brother was always the clown, always meek, compared to him. The brother standing before him had vibrantly glowing purple eyes.

"Matsuri was taken sometime between when you left and after news of Jacques' defeat circulated. Temari had her hanging laundry in the solar room. Someone bypassed our safeguards…" Gaara's eyes narrowed. The solar room was right off the study, on the second floor. A mere human, who would be turned away from the grounds, couldn't have gotten up there. And any of the cursed ones that tried to penetrate their safeguards would have paid a high cost to do so…not to mention it would have put him and both his siblings on high alert. So…who could have taken his sister's servant girl?

His eyes narrowed and he looked over his shoulder. He would have to ask his new mate for her help. There was no way they would be able to find Matsuri without her assistance. He turned and headed back out the door. He needed to bring Sakura here immediately. She could examine the evidence left behind and most likely determine who kidnapped the girl…and probably why.

He looked at Kankuro over his shoulder. "I will return with help. In the meantime, secure the grounds. I don't want anyone else slipping through the safeguards. Especially to the sleeping chambers." His brother nodded and turned, heading back to where he'd gone. Gaara sighed and closed his eyes, allowing his physical body to disassemble, one particle at a time.

* * *

><p>Sakura sighed as she slicked her wet hair back from her face. All that fighting had made her feel filthy. After she'd managed to get rid of Sasuke, she'd headed to her personal room in the inn and taken a scalding hot shower. She sighed as she walked out of the bathroom, steam following her out. She bit her lip and looked over at the bag that contained her personal items. She walked over to it, picked it up, and carried it over to her bed. She took out several things, a soft smile curving her lips. The first item was a small, simple picture frame. Her blonde mother was standing there, smiling in that serious manner she was known for. As a military police officer, her mother possessed a very serious personality, but that didn't mean she didn't have a soft side.<p>

And right beside her mother was her father, his more-silver-than-red-now hair cut in a way that reminded her of a starfish. She'd grown up hearing her mother call her father 'starfish head' when she got angry at him. Sakura ran her fingers over his image. He was in the military, just like her mother, only he was a physician. He had inspired Sakura to pursue a degree in the medical field with his stories of working in the military hospital. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She hadn't seen her parents in over five years. She never had time to visit them since they moved back to Okinawa. Her time with the missionaries kept her too busy to plan personal trips.

She laid the picture frame aside and picked up the next item in her pack. It was a _very_ old leather-bound journal. An old medicine man she'd met on her last tour had given it to her. It was a record of many strange illnesses he'd come across in eastern Europe while traveling during his youth. There was mention of a 'blood loss' sickness that sounded like the anemia she was currently investigating. It made mentions of the medicine man giving those affected a concoction of silver flakes, fresh garlic, and purified water. The next time they'd been examined, the ones who'd been affected were no longer sick.

Sakura laid the journal aside and dug around for what she was looking for. It had been given to her many years ago, when she was a little girl, by her great-grandmother. Her eyes lit up when she felt it and she pulled it out of he bag. It was a large crystal formation on the end of a braided leather cord. It was held to the cord with an ornate silver clasp. The crystal itself was a mixture of rose quartz and jade…a very rare piece, indeed. She'd spent hours researching it when she'd turned sixteen and a strange man with pale skin and dark circles under his eyes had offered to buy it from her. She'd refused, saying it was a family heirloom. He'd stared at her and vanished shortly after.

Sakura ran her fingers over the strange protrusions of the crystal, smiling as she remembered the face of the woman who'd gifted it to her. Her great-grandmother had been a gypsy. She'd lived well into her hundreds, finally drawing her last at the ripe old age of one-hundred-seventeen years. Sakura's grandmother, who had married a Japanese man, had lived her early years in her mother's footsteps as a gypsy as well. After marrying Sakura's grandfather, and settling down in Okinawa, they'd had their only son, Haruno Kizashi.

Sakura's father had blamed his whimsical personality on his gypsy heritage, which often made his mother scold him, but it had won him Senju Mebuki's hand in marriage; _and_ her everlasting devotion. Sakura sighed and sat the crystal down, reaching for her night clothes. She wanted to get a good night sleep because it was going to take her most of the day tomorrow getting her lab cleaned up after her unexpected guests. She had her thick fleece sleeping pants on and was just pulling on a white cami when a noise gave her pause. She looked around, but saw nothing that would cause her alarm. She shrugged and finished pulling the cami over her head, reaching for her thick long sleeve sleeping shirt, when a shadow caused her to gasp and whirl, her hand going up to strike a painful blow to her assailant's nose.

Her eyes widened in surprise when glowing blue-green eyes stared down at her. She blushed when those eyes slide down over her freshly washed body. Even though she was clothed, she felt exposed to his gaze. She watched the smirk curve his lips, exposing one long canine, as he leaned just past her, her wrist in his gentle hold, and grabbed her sleeping shirt. He looked at it before looking at her. "You will not be needing this." He stated and threw the shirt over the back of the wooden chair next to the small breakfast table by the window. She arched a brow at him and tugged on her wrist, letting him know she wanted to be released. She noticed his pupils dilate and she bit her lip nervously.

She felt a bit better when he released her, though it was short lived as he stepped closer to her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his nose against the vibrant 'Ai' kanji on her shoulder. "I had hoped to ease you into my world, but it seems that the fates will not allow this." He purred at her, causing her entire body to go molten. Mortification blazed through her at her body's blatant reaction to him. It was then his words penetrated her hormone dazed mind.

"Wh-what? Your world? I don't understand…" She noticed him reach out and pick up the crystal, staring for a moment before slipping it over her head.

"As I said before, you are special, Haruno Sakura. The blood of a powerful, ancient clan runs in your veins. This crystal only proves my words true." Sakura stared at him before looking down at the crystal now resting against her cleavage. It was warm and slightly vibrating. She arched a brow, confused.

"I don't understand. My great-grandmother gave me this crystal. She said it was the only thing she ever carried with her. She was a gypsy; they didn't really believe in carting a whole bunch of stuff around." She noticed his eyes glowing with amusement and she gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowing on him. "What the hell is your point? Why are you in my _personal_ room? What the hell are you after?" She noticed him drag a gentle finger down the side of her face, from her temple to her chin.

"My point, _amice iubit_, is that you were never meant for the world of humans. That crystal is evidence of that." Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at him. Not meant? World of humans? What...the..._hell_?! Sakura stared at him, her mind completely blank. She noticed him purr and rub himself against the mark that had suddenly appeared on her skin. That got her mind working double time and she sputtered in outrage, pushing him away from her.

"_You!_" She pointed one accusing funger at him and glared. "_You're_ the reason I have this strange mark on my neck!" She glared, her hands going to her hips as she prepared to give him what for. Her irritation was further sparked by the deep chuckle that left him.

"I was merely showing the mortal that his attentions would not be tolerated. I won't share you with another male." Sakura's jaw dropped open at his matter-of-fact explanation. It was like he was stating 'snow is cold' or 'rocks are hard'. She couldn't find words to express the utter outrage that sparked deep inside her soul. She decided glaring would have to do, because she'd literally been shocked speechless.

"That still doesn't explain what you're doing in my personal room." She lifted her chin stubbornly, refusing to give him an inch, it seemed. He smirked again, his eyetooth gleaming in the dim light. He noticed her eyes dilate as she stared at his fang, her breathing accelerating as excitement and curiosity coursed through her. She didn't even realize her heritage...why she wasn't afraid of the paranormal.

"I am here, _amice iubit_, because I need your help." He whispered, his eyes turnign serious so suddenly that she was taken off guard by it. She stared in confusion for a moment before concern colored her face.

"What's going on? What's happened? Why did you turn serious all of a sudden?" Gaara sighed and turned away from her, clasping his hands behind his back as he went to look out her window.

"While I was with you, someone bypassed the safeguards at my family home. Regular humans should not be able to do so, they would merely be turned away. Cursed ones, like Jacques, the man from earlier, would pay a heavier price. There is a reason he went after you instead of coming at me directly." Sakura arched a brow at him, slightly confused as to what he meant and slightly worried about where this was going.

"I don't understand...what's a cursed one? You mean a vampire?" There was humor in her voice until he turned to her, his eyes serious. He noticed her gulp and blink twice, obviously startled by his seriousness.

"In a sense, yes. Cursed ones could be considered vampires by modern humans. However, we do not have the powers or abilities described by modern media. We do not transform into animals, we do not cringe before crosses, and being bitten by a cursed one does not turn the bitten into one of us." Sakura arched a brow, clearly waiting for him to go on. He sighed and surveyed the expanse of land outside her window.

"But like the legends and tales, we do feed on blood. Our cellular structure does not allow for proper oxygen absorption. We drink blood to replenish-" He noticed her eyes widen as she gasped.

"Haematids. Your blood composition lacks significant numbers of haematids! That's why you need blood and that's why only the haematids in the blood samples were missing!" The red head nodded slowly as he stood before the window.

"When a cursed one feeds on a human host, the blood is not _extracted_ persay, merely filtered. We take what we need from a host's blood and then we leave. Most cursed ones feed during sexual encounters, so that a sense of euphoria is left in the mind of their host. However, there are several rogue clans that have begun to feed on humans because they have acquired a taste for their blood. This is what we call the blood lust." Sakura regarded the male before her as she remembered Jacques accusing this same male of being enslaved to the blood lust.

"And you? Have you 'acquired' a taste for human blood?" She noticed him arch a brow before shrugging, his expression almost apathetic.

"I was born with the blood lust. My mother was human and my birthing killed her. I did not have a choice." Sakura's eyes widened as he confessed such a terrible, _painful_ secret to her. She put her hand to her mouth.

"I'm so sorry..." He shrugged and looked away, obviously not used to sympathy.

"I never knew my mother, though I am told she was very kind and sweet natured. She was a servant in my father's house. One of the few humans who knew of the existence of the Cursed Ones. My father came to fancy her and took her as his concubine. An uncommon practice for our kind, but not unheard of. Concubines generally do not last long once a Cursed One claims a mate. In my mother's case, my father's mate pitied her and helped care for her until I was born. Her death was not mourned by my father or his family. I was considered a stain on their house and kept locked away for most of my life. That changed when my brother and sister brought me here." Sakura stared at him, completely in awe that he was being so open about himself with her. She heard his deep chuckle again and his eyes hooded as he regarded her.

"It is only natural that I reveal my story to you, _amice iubit_." She arched her brow. There was that phrase again. Just what the hell did it mean? She noticed him smirk and she rolled her eyes, glaring.

"I really hate that mind reading thing you and that other guy can do." She noticed him arch a brow at her but she just glared. "Anyways, what is that you keep saying? Amice iubit? What does that mean?" She noticed how his eyes instantly went molten and he took several steps towards her, putting him so close to her their noses touched.

"It is a declaration of my intentions. In Romanian, it means 'beloved mate'. To call a member of the opposite sex beloved is a declaration of one's feelings, as well as their intentions to court the individual. As I intend to mate you, I have named you thus: _amice iubit_, my beloved mate." Sakura gasped and stared, her eyes wide with shock, fear, and confusion. She shook her head, taking a step back.

"M-m-mate? As in-" She noticed amusement flash in his eyes before he wrapped his arm around her waist, dragging her against him. She could feel the heat of his body, as well as his arousal. She gasped and stared at him, her eyes almost bugging out of her head.

"As in me claiming your body as my own as I give myself to you for all eternity." He husked at her, his tongue coming out and brushing the shell of her ear. She squeaked in surprise, which made him growl in arousal. She pushed against him halfheartedly as she tried to process what was going on. She tried to distract him by going back to something he'd mentioned earlier.

"Y-You said someone bypassed your safeguards. W-why should that matter? Why can't you just ch-change them?" She noticed him reign himself in from exploring her body in order to proceed with what he'd come here for initially.

"Because when they bypassed our safeguards, they took my sister's servant girl, Matsuri. The girl you met earlier today." Sakura's eyes widened and she gasped, her legs giving out and sending both of them to the floor. He held her securely in his arms while she tried to process what was going on. She looked up at the concern on his face. "Matsuri, while not a part of our family, is the key to disabling the safeguards that keep Cursed Ones from entering our family grounds. If they reach the Manor, they will kill all of us." He noticed her eyes widen and felt concern blossoming inside her. It made something in him purr with happiness.

"Why? Why would they want to do that?" He was about to answer when a voice behind him did that for him.

"Because our bloodline is the only link to Original Curse." Sakura gasped as the blonde woman from earlier regarded them from the open window. Sakura blushed as she remembered her state of undress and she attempted to cover herself with her arms. The red head reached over and picked up one of her clean long sleeve shirts and handed it to her. The blonde said nothing, aside from smiling at the two.

"I had hoped we'd be able to bring you to the manor and ease you into this life, but it seems that our families' pasts are catching up to us." Sakura arched her brow at this and the blonde looked over at the red head, her brow arched. "You haven't told her?" The red head sighed and gave the blonde an irritated look.

"I was getting to it, Temari." Sakura noticed the red head cross his arms over his chest, shielding her from the blonde that was his sister. Sakura regarded them both before crossing her own arms over her chest, her shirt dangling in her hand.

"What is she talking about? What haven't you told me?" She noticed him stiffen before turning to her, his eyes holding a petulant gleam, proving he'd wanted more alone time with her. She rolled her eyes and poked him in the chest, much to the blonde woman's surprise. "What. Didn't. You. Tell. Me?" She punctuated each word with a poke to his chest, making him arch a brow at her.

"You side tracked me away from my original statement, but in essence our families have been connected for as long as the Cursed Ones have existed." He noticed her confusion and he pointed to the crystal around her neck. "You said your great-grandmother gave you that crystal, correct?" Sakura looked down and then nodded, her face twisted with confusion. Gaara then began unbuttoning his shirt, revealing a mark similar to the shape of the crystal in the middle of his chest. "That crystal is what created the first Cursed One. Our kind refer to it as the Cursing Crystal." Sakura stared in shock before looking down at the crystal.

"I don't understand...why would someone do such a terrible thing?" Sakura whispered and stared at the crystal with horror. It was the blonde girl that spoke.

"The legends passed down through our history states that centuries ago, a young nobleman lusted after a young village girl. She was free spirited, never stayed in one place long." Sakura's eyes widened at that description.

"A gypsy." The blonde nodded.

"Yes. She was the first true gypsy. She set out on her own, leaving behind her family, friends, and the young nobleman." Sakura bit her lip. She had a feeling she knew where this was going. The blonde kept speaking. "The nobleman became incensed, thinking she'd spurned him. He went searching for her, hunting her all over eastern Europe. Nearly twenty years passed before he finally caught up with her. By then she had married and had two young teenage daughters. The nobleman was enraged she'd started a family with another man, so he murdered her husband and then killed both her daughters. The girl, now a wise shamanistic woman, was driven mad by the deaths of her husband and beloved children. She cursed the nobleman, pressing _that_ crystal to his chest just after he'd raped her." Sakura gulped, not wanting to listen to such a horrible tale.

"The young nobleman disappeared after that, never to return to his family's holdings. The woman gave birth to a son, a child she could not bear to look upon. So, she left him with a troupe she'd lived with prior to meeting her husband. She then disappeared, only to show up once more right before her death. She gave the crystal to her son and told him to never allow it to leave his side, for it was the only thing that could ever protect him from the monster who'd sired him." Sakura looked down at the crystal and then over at the red head, who had his eyes closed.

"What happened to the nobleman?" The blonde leaned against the window frame and looked outside.

"He traveled to every country in Europe, looking for a cure to the 'sickness' that had assailed him. Many medicine men treated him, but he never got any better. It was a shaman that finally revealed to him it was a curse, placed by a more powerful shaman. One that could only be lifted by atonement for the act that caused the onset of the curse." Sakura looked over at the red head once more before looking back at the blonde.

"Where did he go then?" The blonde closed her eyes and rested her head against the open window's frame.

"He sought out the gypsy girl, intent on atoning for what he'd done. When he found the troupe where she'd left his son, he found out that she'd died of old age and that her son had left years ago to find the man who'd sired him. The nobleman had stopped aging by then, which is why he'd not realized that almost sixty years had passed since he'd been cursed. He never found his son, from what I've been told. He traveled a great deal, trying to find some clue as to where his son had gone. Perhaps track down the boy's relatives. He ended up in Japan, where he met an ambitious feudal lord who promised to help him search for his lost son, _if_ the nobleman would share his immortality." Sakura gulped at that. And just _how_ was this curse passed on?

"The nobleman agreed to share his immortality if, and only if, an out clause was created so that future generations didn't suffer for the feudal lord's greed. As such, a shaman was sought out to consult on the matter, and the out clause is stated thus: 'should the blood of Elevander ever mingle with the blood of Sabaku, the curse can be lifted and mortality restored.' I have yet to meet a Cursed One that has wished to lift their curse. The benefits have outweighed the costs." Sakura stared at the blonde before looking over at the red head. It was then he spoke.

"Though I agree that the curse is beneficial, especially to those who were born with it, there _are_ those that wish for their mortality to be restored." He then looked at Sakura, who blushed brightly at the look in his eyes. "When we come together, our mating will end the 'curse' Elevander shared with my ancestors. All those who were changed by one of my bloodline will be subject to the loss of their immortality." Sakura's eyes widened. No wonder they were hiding behind safeguards. And why their safeguards being bypassed was such a huge deal.

"So, these 'cursed ones' are trying to kill you because they are afraid one of you might mate with a descendant of Elevander. In other words...someone like me." Both the red head and blonde nodded, making Sakura sit heavily on her bed. Her head snapped up as a thought crossed her mind. "But, it doesn't say _will_ be lifted, it said _can be_ lifted. That means that there's a choice, right?" The siblings exchanged looks before nodding.

"The only problem with that, is many are afraid of the right to immortality being revoked as punishment for misdeeds." Sakura jumped as another masculine voice came from behind her. She stared with wide eyes at the hulking figure of a brunette male. He was near the door to her room. She squeaked and covered herself with her shirt, slightly hiding behind the red head who'd stepped closer to her upon the arrival of the other male.

"Is that even possible?" Sakura asked, looking up at the red head before her. He looked at her over his shoulder, his face impassive.

"The right to immortality can only be revoked by a descendant of the one who originally retained it." Sakura's eyes widened at that.

"So you're saying that, if we had sex, I could turn a bunch of your kind into regular people again?" The red head arched a brow before looking over at his two siblings. Both suddenly disappeared, leaving Sakura alone with the red head. She gulped.

"What I am saying, _amice iubit_, is that _when_ we mate you will hold dominion over all the Cursed Ones that were created by Elevander sharing his immortality." His voice was smooth as silk and sinful to her ears. She glared at him, not ready to give in to his certainty that they would end up as mates. They locked gazes and, moments later, lips. She gasped as he held her tightly against him, devouring her mouth.

As he did so, something strange happened. Her crystal began to glow and images flooded her mind. With him so connected to her, both mentally and physically, he shared those images with her. It was Matsuri-she was scared, crying, and being held captive by-Sakura gasped and she shoved the red head away from her, her eyes wide.

"I know who has Matsuri!" The red head stared before nodding.

* * *

><p>Sakura was nervous. It wasn't very often she became nervous, but when she did, it was for good reason. And this...this was one <em>hell <em>of a good reason. It wasn't every day that you met vampires, was kissed senseless by one of said vampires, and held the life of a young girl in your hands thanks to a vision you'd gotten from a crystal passed down through your family for generations. Nope, definitely not what she considered a regular day.

She walked out, alone, waiting for the one she knew had Matsuri to come to her. And she knew he'd come. He couldn't help it. He would be drawn to her, thanks to her great-grandmother's crystal. She stood there, in clothing she'd bought locally. It was a thick cream sweater and a thick bright red skirt. She had a black wool hat on her head, her long and thick pink hair hanging loosely down her back while her ears remained covered. She had a black belt around her waist overtop her sweater and black boots she'd bought at a local shop. Her clothing was bright against the dark sky and the equally dark woods. She could feel the three siblings watching her from the treetops.

She remembered their surprise when she'd told them her plan: to use herself as bait. The red head had raged against the idea, even going as far as striking the brunette male when the man had mentioned it being a logical plan. The blonde female had meekly calmed her red headed brother, who had growled and hissed. He'd finally capitulated when Sakura had told him she didn't give a damn what he liked, she wasn't going to let an innocent girl die, and it was obvious this man was after her, not Matsuri.

So here they were, she waiting down in the clearing like the good little bait she was, and her immortal protectors in the treetops, waiting to secure one of their own household. The sound of twigs cracking had Sakura looking over her shoulder. She noticed a figure stop just inside the tree line and she regarded it. A man stepped into the clearing and she caught a glimpse of his face in the moonlight. It was the man from her vision. Sakura's bright green eyes flashed and she turned, her skirt flaring as she did. She put her hands on her hips and glared.

"Well, aren't you just a big man, hiding behind a _child_ you took from her home in the middle of the night." She hissed, scolding the man for his irrational behavior. She noticed the man's eyes flash before he took a step towards her. She shook her head and reached behind her back, taking out her tonfas. "Release the girl and _maybe_ I won't fry your ass." She growled, watching the girl carefully. Something wasn't right. Matsuri didn't seem at all afraid of this man. It was then that the girl stepped forward, her hands up.

"Please, don't hurt him. He saved me from the ones who took me. They were going to trade me to some people for something. I'm not sure what is going on, but this man hasn't hurt me." Sakura narrowed her eyes and lifted her hand.

"Matsuri, come here. If what you say is true, then he won't try to stop you from coming to me." The little brunette girl looked at the man, who seemed tense. She took a step and the man stepped forward, shouting something. It was then that the siblings acted. Kankuro grabbed Matsuri up while Gaara attacked the being who'd gone for Sakura. Temari was fighting two on her own, only to be joined by the dark man Sakura had seen in her vision. He said something in a language none of them understood, but they got the gist of it: these were _not_ allies.

Gaara roared and punched the man in front of him, sending him crashing through the woods, breaking trees as he went. The red head shouted something and suddenly both his siblings were up off the ground, Temari taking the dark man with her, though he seemed offended she'd picked him up. Sakura gasped as Gaara picked her up and jumped, his fist smashing into the ground sending them up high, as well as causing something strange to happen. Suddenly, the solid earth that had been beneath their feet turned to shifting sand, causing the cursed ones who'd attacked them to be sucked into it. Gaara whispered something and the sand solidified once more, returning to the earth it had previously been.

Sakura stared in shock and awe as the three siblings met in the clearing once more. Matsuri was immediately at Temari's side, weeping and apologizing. The blonde hugged the girl and whispered to her, holding tightly as small tears gathered in the corner of slate eyes. The dark male regarded them carefully before looking over at Sakura, who now knew who this man was after hearing the story of the Cursed Ones from the Sabaku siblings. Sakura regarded him, her arms over her chest.

"Welcome to the modern world…Elevander." She stated, her eyes hard. Her crystal was glowing once more and the dark haired man looked away.

"So…you are her newest incarnation." He stated with a heavy accent. Sakura arched a brow at him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She noticed his eyes snap to her, anger buried deep inside. She stiffened and regarded him. "That temper is what got you into trouble in the first place, old man." She noticed the anger quickly die, only to be replaced by sadness.

"Yes, you are right about that. It was my selfishness and foolish pride that cost so many so much." Sakura regarded the man before looking over at Matsuri.

"So, you saved Matsuri from the Cursed Ones, huh?" She noticed him look at the girl before he looked away.

"She…reminded me of someone. Someone that was very kind to me. Her name was Karura I think. She-" He was cut off by a trembling voice.

"You…you knew my mother?" Sakura turned her gaze to the red head who had protected her so fiercely when they'd been attacked. The dark man canted his head to the side before nodding.

"Yes. She lived in the Sabaku Manor for many years. I often visited my surrogate family's holdings. I was sad to hear that Kinko had taken her as his concubine. Humans never survive the birth of a Cursed One's child." There was sadness in the man's face, despair in his eyes. "I have hurt so many because of my personal failures." He looked about to weep.

Sakura looked at him and she felt a pearl of pity enter into her heart. What he'd done in the past was horrendous. But so, too, was the curse _her_ ancestor had put on him. One was no less horrendous than the other. She looked over at Gaara, who had his fists clenched at his side. She then looked at the dark man. "How do I lift the curse?" She noticed the man gasp, as well as the three siblings. Sakura thought back over what she'd been told of the curse. "Temari, you said that only atonement for the act that initiated the onset of the curse could break it." She then looked at Elevander. "Do you remember anything my ancestor said to you? Anything at all?" She noticed the man about to speak when she felt excruciating pain radiate throughout her body. She gasped and stared up at the sky, noticing a single snowflake falling.

She heard Gaara roaring in denial, as well as Elevander. Temari was shrieking, as well as Matsuri. She noticed smug glowing red eyes before she fell face down to the ground. The world went black for her in that moment. However, for those around her prone figure, life was not going in slow motion. Instead, an enraged Gaara was glaring at the newest threat, who'd slipped past them and managed to harm Sakura. Gaara glared at the all too familiar man who'd been with his little mate at her 'lab'. He was holding a rifle, the scope gleaming menacingly. The barrel was smoking and he was smiling.

"I just gained my immortality. You really think I'm going to give her the chance to take that away from me?" Gaara roared and pounced, barreling into the dark haired male with enough force to bend the gun into scrap metal. While Gaara fought Sasuke, Elevander knelt by Sakura's side, turning her over so he could cradle her in his arms. Tears were streaming down his face.

"Amaya, no…not her…please…take my life, just let her live…" He whispered, his face pressing against her temple. His tears continued to fall, until a strange light had him looking up. He gasped as the spirit of the woman who'd cursed him stood before him, a soft look on her face.

_"That is the first time I have heard you say my name, Elevander."_ She said in a light voice. The man looked up at her before looking down at Sakura..

"I have lived with regret for these thousands of years. I never meant to hurt you, Amaya. Not ever." He whispered and stared at the girl lying in his arms. "I once took the life of your children…I want to make amends. I can't bring them back, but…this girl…I can save her. Let me give her my immortality, Amaya. All of it. Let me save this child of our blood…" He looked up and noticed the woman, Amaya, holding out her hands.

_"I am proud of you, Elevander. You have learned what it is you were meant to learn. Now, save this child of ours. Give her the gift of life. Pass on our legacy of immortality."_ Elevander nodded and reached for Amaya's hands. Sakura floated between them, causing all those around them to still, including Sasuke and Gaara. Both stared as Sakura's still form began to float; her hair began to glow, slowly changing from its natural strawberry blonde to the same color as the rose quartz around her neck. The wound in her chest closed, the blood disappearing as the hole knitted itself shut. The natural fabric of her clothes mended itself under the powers of the shaman spirit and original Cursed One.

Her body was fine, now all to do was restore her life. In order to do that, Amaya took Elevander's hands, causing him to glow the same blue she was. He gasped as she pulled him towards her, causing him to pass through Sakura's body. As he did, Sakura gasped, her eyes popping open and glowing an intense green, almost like the color in her crystal. She looked around, not quite understanding what was happening. Gaara gasped and ran to her, taking her into his arms and holding her tightly. She clung to him, heaving gasps wracking her body. Noise had them both looking over at where Kankuro had subdued Sasuke with a little sneak attack of his own.

Sakura was shaking when she felt a warmth around her and looked over her shoulder. Standing behind them, watching with affection on their faces, were Elevander and Sakura's ancestor, Amaya. Sakura gasped and quickly looked down at herself. She noticed something was different, so she reached up and touched her mouth. She felt sharp teeth and she looked back over her shoulder, only to find both spirits gone. Sakura looked at Gaara, who cupped her cheeks and stared deep into her eyes. Without saying anything more, he took her lips with his, kissing her with as much passion and urgency as he could.

* * *

><p>Gaara felt like a wildfire was ripping through his chest. He'd just witnessed his little mate die…and be reborn. She was not like him, not like his ilk. She was pure…the new 'original'. Elevander had sacrificed his immortality to revive her. He'd given his life, his very essence, so that Sakura could live. And Gaara couldn't help but be grateful. Elevander had saved not just Sakura, but Gaara as well. He knew had she not returned to life, he'd have followed her into death. Such was the fate of mated pairs.<p>

He kissed her with everything he felt, everything he wanted to express to her but could not. Words were not his strong point. But in her newly awakened state, words were not needed. Like Elevander, she was now capable of reading the emotions and thoughts of all Cursed Ones. Or at least that was the power she now possessed according to what the Sabaku's had understood. Gaara pulled away just long enough to look into her eyes. They were no longer that brightly glowing neon-green, like her crystal, but instead the rich emerald he'd stared into the last few days.

He knew she'd felt him watching her; knew she'd squirmed over his intense gaze. And the longer he'd watched her in her lab, the more he'd begun to fall for her. Though he'd never openly admit it. He'd never, in the many years to come, confess that he was hopelessly in love with his little mate. And his mate, she would most definitely be. With a growl, he pulled his lips from her before sweeping her up into his arms and disappearing. Her startled gasp was the only response as he took them to a cave, deep within the earth.

He stared down at her, his eyes glowing golden with arousal and the burning need to claim her. He noticed her eyes slowly begin to bleed that glorious neon-green and he purred in satisfaction. Her human mind may not be able to conceive what was happening, but the instincts instilled in her by Elevander transferring his essence into her were as sharp as his own. He carefully put her on her feet and purred, running his fingers over the curve of her spin. He felt her tremble as his fingers burned her skin through the fabric of her sweater.

He leaned down and nuzzled her, careful not to rip her clothes. He had a feeling there would be hell to pay once her human reasoning surfaced if he did. He gently removed her sweater, followed very closely by her skirt and boots. He then began working on her undergarments. The synthetic materials of her undergarments chaffed his delicate skin and he growled, all but shredding them. He purred when she was bare before him and he rubbed his hands over her smooth skin.

He watched as she hesitantly reached out and started pulling his clothing off. He heard her gasp when her eyes landed on the smooth, pale expanse of his chest. His eyes closed and he groaned when her fingers trailed over his pectorals, down to his abdominals. His eyes blazed when he opened them and stared down at her. He could see her blush, even in the dim light of the cave. He growled and urged her to explore him, taking her hands in his own and running them over his body, groaning at the feel of her fingertips against him.

Impatient to feel his body pressed against hers, he stepped back from her and shed his shoes, followed very quickly by his pants. He felt immense satisfaction when her eyes widened and her blush deepened as he stood before her, gloriously nude beneath his simple cotton trousers. He purred and stepped back up to her, pulling her tightly against his body and gasping at the feel of her equally nude body against him. He leaned back down and took her lips once more, not giving her a chance to say anything before his tongue was exploring every nuance of her mouth.

He kissed her thoroughly, slowly pushing her backwards. He noticed her squeak of surprise and how she clutched him when their feet were suddenly plunged into lukewarm water. Chuckling, he pulled away from her long enough to pick her up and carry her into the water, heading to the center, where the pool glowed ever so slightly. He noticed her breathing speed up and he whispered in her ear. She looked up at him, her brilliantly glowing eyes like gemstones shining in the darkness. He looked her in the eyes and purred. "Do you trust me?" He noticed her hesitate only slightly before she nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to release her body for repositioning. When she swung her body around, he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her against him, her thighs hugging his hips.

Both gasped at the contact before groaning. Sakura began panting, as she had the first time they'd met. Gaara stared at her, his eyes shining like molten gold in his pale face. He whispered to her once more and she nodded, kissing him as he wrapped his arms around her. He shifted, pulling her body against his, and her head snapped up, her fangs bared as she screamed. Her eyes were glowing so vividly that it lit up the room ever so slightly. Her hair was floating in the water around them and Gaara just stared up at her, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open as euphoria consumed him.

He'd had sexual encounters with humans before, but that was only to feed. This…this was _much_ different. He groaned and buried his face against her chest, lightly nipping at her breasts. One hand cradled the back of her head as he continued the oldest rhythm in time, physically claiming his little mate as thoroughly as she'd already claimed him emotionally. He continued to lift her, only to pull her tightly against him, causing him to pant. He detected a sound and looked around with a hazy mind, only to come to the realization that it was his own moans he was hearing. He looked up at her, his golden eyes glazed with the euphoria he was feeling. He groaned when their eyes met and he buried his face against her neck, licking her throbbing pulse.

With a low growl, Gaara bit deep, causing Sakura to scream once more. He groaned when he felt her channel clamp down on him, causing even more friction. He slowly made his way towards the side of the pool, stopping occasionally to give her some rough thrusts. When he had her pressed against the smooth wall of the cave, he hiked her legs for a better angle. With a dominating growl, he began to thrust very quickly, carefully gauging the depth. He felt heat course through him as her climax burst into their psychic connection. He gasped as he felt her pleasure, which triggered his orgasm, causing her to feel his pleasure. Both were gasping and moaning, each clinging to the other while trying not to lose themselves completely in the pleasure.

Before losing himself too completely in their combined self-compounding pleasure, he whispered something and he found himself lying on his back in a large, soft bed. Sakura was draped over him, her eyes rolling up into the back of her head as the pleasure became too much for her. Before unconsciousness claimed him, he whispered to her, making the corners of her mouth lift slightly, despite her unconscious state. He rolled, ever so slightly, so that his petite little mate was pressed tightly against him. he buried his face in her still damp hair and sighed in content. He then gave in to the darkness that was invading his peripheral vision and allowed sleep to overtake him.

* * *

><p>The next few months found Sakura adjusting to her new life. While she didn't have as many limitations as Gaara or his siblings, she still found one thing to be true; when she got upset, her eyes glowed brightly. Unlike Gaara, she could go out during the day, consume human food, and even continue her career in medicine. However, she'd turned in her resignation with the missionaries after confiding in them that she'd 'fallen in love and was staying in order to marry'. They had understood, especially after word had spread of the wealthy young recluse who'd 'proposed' to her. Ironically, word of her relationship with the youngest Sabaku had drawn a lot of attention. Not all of it good, either.<p>

It wasn't too long after returning from her rather steamy interlude with Gaara that Sakura had been approached by numerous Cursed Ones. In fact, the day after her rebirth, she'd been confronted by several local clan heads. All had stemmed from the Sabaku's changing vassals, it seemed. Seventeen clan heads had confronted her and Gaara as they'd made the trek back to Gaara's home estate…which so happened to be the ancestral home of Elevander. By rights, everything in the region belonged to Sakura. Several clan heads, however, did not see it that way.

One had confronted Sakura, questioning her legitimacy. When Temari had pointed out Sakura was in possession of the Cursing Crystal, another clan head had called it a fake. Gaara had been ready to defend his small mate when she'd stepped towards the two heads who'd questioned her authority and she'd crossed her arms over her chest. Gaara remembered, with a hint of arousal, that Sakura had lifted one finger, and both clan heads had fallen to their knees, crying out in pain. All the Cursed Ones, with the exception of Gaara and his siblings, had backed away from her at this.

Her eyes glowed dangerously as she'd regarded them. She had looked at Gaara, who had nodded. Though Sakura was now the Original, she didn't know the inner workings of their world. She would rely on him for that. He would make the declarations, she would enforce them. Gaara looked over at his little mate as she examined something in that huge microscope of hers. He rolled his eyes. Now that she'd taken up residence in her ancestral estate, she hardly ever left the rooms she'd declared to be her new lab. She claimed to be working on an elixir that would negate his need for human blood. Not that she complained when he fed from her.

That was another pleasant surprise for him. Unlike his family's stunted form of Elevander's immortality, Sakura did not need to consume blood in order to retain high haematid counts. Her blood produced plenty of their own…enough so that he could feed from her and she barely noticed a difference. He looked up when the clock chimed. He looked over at his little mate, who was worrying her lip between her pearly white teeth. He noticed her fang gleam in the low light and felt his body react to her. He heard her gentle tut before she lifted her head.

"You really are insatiable, aren't you?" She asked in that droll tone she occasionally took with him when his…appetites…interfered with her research. He chuckled as his hooded eyes took in her appearance. Despite the long white lab coat she often donned, she also wore a voluminous deep red skirt and blouse. The blouse was soft to the touch and had a black leather belt over it, just around her hips. He'd found his little mate preferred soft clothing as opposed to the scratchy wool commonly found in the area.

"You cannot blame me for finding you irresistible, _amice iubit_." He noticed a delicate pink stain her cheeks as he called her by the nickname he'd refused to relinquish. He also noticed her reach over and turn something on. He looked at the clock once more. "If we do not hurry, we will be late for the meeting." He noticed her gasp and look over at the clock. She'd told him she wanted all the Cursed Ones to convene here, where everything had started. However, he would not allow so many potential assassins access to their home, so they'd agreed to meet in the clearing just south of the estate, when the moon was at it's fullest.

He watched as she whirled, her skirt flaring as it did, giving him a teasing glance of her creamy legs. She threw off her lab coat and reached over, snagging the thick black shawl she'd become so fond of these past few months. She'd shaken her hair out of it's messy bun, hurriedly running her fingers through it to attempt to tame it, and put her black hat on. There was a crimson flower on the band of the black hat, something he'd placed there not long after her rebirth. A reminder of how close he'd come to losing her. He watched through hooded eyes as she turned the machine she'd been fiddling with moments ago off and carefully stored several vials of something in the sling pack Temari had gifted to her. She then tied her shawl around her shoulders and looked over at him.

"Let's go. I want to get there with plenty of time to prepare." He noticed the dangerous glow in her eyes and nodded. A doctor she may be, but she was now the sole governing force of his kind...and she knew it, too.

* * *

><p>As he materialized in the clearing, he noticed that several Cursed Ones were already there. Not as many as he was certain would answer the call, especially since he knew they'd all felt Elevander's passing. They would surely be seeking an explaination...or at least someone to blame. He looked over at a shadow just inside the treeline and he nodded. The shadow moved out into the moonlight and very slowly, Sakura began to appear. She was still getting used to her powers, with Gaara's help of course. He noticed the instant attention her presence garnered. It was almost like they were drawn to her. And perhaps they were. The crystal around her neck, which she never took off anymore, was sure to gain significant attention.<p>

He noticed more and more Cursed Ones appearing now that Sakura was present in the clearing. He noticed his brother and sister materialize just behind Sakura, their stances protective. He was surprised when Matsuri stepped out from Kankuro's side. He was further surprised when he noticed that Matsuri was no longer human. She was now a Cursed One. He was about to scold his brother when Sakura locked eyes with him and shook her head. Apparently this wasn't the time to address family issues. His attention snapped over when he heard a scoff.

"What's the meaning of this, Sabaku? Why call us all here, knowing there is a clan war going on?" There was a murmur that went up, many wondering the same thing. Gaara looked over at Sakura, who stepped forward. She shed her black shawl, revealing the Cursing Crystal. Several of those gathered gasped, some even taking several steps back. She made sure all eyes were on her before she spoke. When she did speak, she made sure they all heard and understood her.

"As some of you may already know, Elevander is dead." A loud murmur went up among those gathered and Sakura waited a few moments. When there was no sign of the crowd quieting, she raised her voice. "Before crossing over, Elevander chose a sucessor. As the only living blood relative of Elevander, I was chosen as his sucessor. I am now the holder of the Original Curse. My name is Sakura Haruno." She noticed Gaara look over at her and she rolled her eyes. "Well, formerly Haruno. I am now Sabaku Sakura." She said aloud. In a murmur she grumbled, "There, happy now?" She noticed several confused people and she sighed.

"Gaara and I are marr-I mean, mated." She noticed several of those gathered murmuring about that and she remembered what Temari had told her about the so called 'out clause'. Sakura decided to impart a bit of the wisdom she'd gained when Elevander had transferred his essence into her. "And just so no one gets any ideas, Elevander left behind a safety precaution, in case anyone got the bright idea to hunt down his descendants. If the last of Elevander's blood is killed by a Cursed One, then the Original Curse will disappear, taking with it all the scattered pieces of the immortality he shared with the Sabaku clan."

She felt a wave of fear come from those gathered and she lifted her chin. She noticed several clan leaders scowling and she shrugged. "You don't have to like it, but Elevander never trusted that you wouldn't try to keep his out clause from ever coming to fruition." She noticed several people look away and she turned her glowing eyes on the local clans. One was Jacques, who'd brought his clan back for tonights meeting. She noticed they were regarding her with something akin to awe. "Now, I know there are those out there wishing to live a normal life. Immortality might have its perks, but I know many of you tire of having to feed on humans."

Sakura reached into her bag and lifted one of the vials she'd brought with her. "So I come bearing an offer that _doesn't_ require you to give up your immortality." She noticed several people perk at that. She then looked back at Gaara, who arched a brow. She then looked back out at those gathered. "For those of you wishing to regain mortality, I will grant your wish. Those wishing to lead normal lives but retain your immortality, I offer you this. It is an elixir I synthesized in my lab after extensive study of a bacteria I found in the blood of locals here in the Carpathian Mountains. The bacteria I found actually causes rapid regeneration of haematids in the blood of those living here. This elixir contains small doses of that bacteria, as well as a healthy dose of haematids from samples taken from the locals." She noticed several staring at her, wondering if the elixir would work. She dug into her bag and brought out the second vial.

"Unfortunately, in the short time I've had to develope this elixir, I only managed to synthesize two vials. I will need two volunteers to test it." She looked straight at Jacques and his mate, who looked at each other before stepping forward.

"You are the holder of the Original Curse. You are the last remaining link to our creator. We will gladly test this for you. For the sake of all Cursed Ones." Sakura's eyes softened and she smiled at the two, bidding them step forward. She noticed them take a step, only to jump back as something swiped at them. There was a growl and a feral looking man hissed at them before turning those wild eyes on her.

"Synthesized cures? Miracle bacteria? I'm not buying a damn word coming out of that pretty little mouth of yours." He then turned to the crowd and yelled. "We have survived for _thousands_ of years on the blood of humans. I see no reason to change that now. This girl, this _fledgling_, wants us to turn our backs on decades of tradition. How do we even know she really is who she says she is? How do we know she is Elevander's kin?" A murmur went through the gathering and the man turned gleaming, malicious eyes back to Sakura, a victorious smirk on his face. She regarded him impassively.

"You are one of those that enjoy taking human blood. I can see the bloodstains on your teeth from here. You don't siphon out what you need, you drain your victims. You _kill_ them." Her eyes narrowed on him and began glowing. A slight wind started to blow as her mood shifted. It was Gaara that crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the man with a small amount of disbelief.

"There is one thing that we Sabakus did not mention when we created the other lines." He looked over when Sakura started murmuring, her crystal jumping against her sweater. Her hair began floating as a circle of light appeared and surrounded her. He smirked as he looked back at the widening eyes of the male who'd challenged Sakura. "The holder of the Original Curse can revoke a Cursed One's immortality at will." He stated in a monotone as Sakura's crystal suddenly shot up parallel to her face. She made a few hand signs and then the circle of light that had encircled her disappeared, only to encase the feral man. He shrieked, as if in pain, and fell to the ground as the light faded.

A murmur went up through those gathered as they regarded the man. A smaller male from the same clan walked up to the feral male and touched his shoulder. "Xander?" They all gasped when the man looked up, his face drawn and wrinkled, aged beyond his years. He made a noise before his skin began to disintigrate. A groan was all that was heard before his entire body crumbled into a pile of ash. They all looked up at Sakura, who looked at the pile with glowing eyes.

"That is what happens to those that have their immortality forcibly removed. The heat of the fight sears them. The harder they try to hold onto it, the worse the damage is when I recall it." Her voice was light...matter-of-fact. She held no malice, no anger. It startled many of them, knowing she'd been human not too long ago. She then turned her eyes back to Jacques and his mate. "Come. The elixir awaits. Embrace a freedom you have never known." She noticed them look at each other before nodding and stepping forward. They each took a vial from Sakura and looked into each others' eyes before downing it.

They gasped slightly before closing their eyes. When they opened their eyes once more, it was to reveal a strange electric blue light behind their normally dark eyes. They both smiled, the woman reaching up and kissing Jacques. "My breathing has eased. I don't feel the pain." The female whispered and looked over at Sakura. "I can feel my body reacting already. I feel like a weight is being lifted from my chest. Thank you." Sakura nodded and looked out over those gathered.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I am the heir of Elevander and the descendant of Amaya." She then looked over at Gaara, who was standing just in front of his siblings. "I am mate to Sabaku Gaara, and newly named Matriarch of the Sabaku Clan." She then looked back out over those gathered. "The time of the Cursed Ones hiding in the shadows is done. We will walk with our heads held high amongst the humans as their equals, not as parasites who depend on them for our survival." She noticed the excitement that started spreading through the Cursed Ones gathered and she smiled, revealing her elongated canines.

Gaara gasped slightly at the magnificent picture she painted, standing there before a gathering of his kind-correction, _their_ kind-with that triumphant smile on her face. He noticed how the others lifted their chins; could sense the pride swelling in them as a whole. For the first time in centuries, he felt _proud_ to be a Cursed One. And it was all thanks to Sakura. He stepped up behind her and nipped her just behind her ear. He purred and nuzzled her, his body reacting to her proximity. He heard her light growl and he smirked, kissing her at the base of her neck, there it met her spine. He was surprised when she turned slightly and regarded him.

"Don't get any ideas, mister." She lightly shoved him, amusement on her face. He arched a brow at her and smirked, turning on the charm. She laughed and shook her head. "Question for you." She noticed him arch his brow and she smirked, a playful light in her eyes. He smirked, a smug expression on his face.

"And what would that be, my dear?" She bit her lip and stifled her laughter.

"What's the gestation period on Cursed One babies?" She noticed him stare for a moment before the question penetrated his hormone laden mind. His eyes widened and went to her stomach, his mouth slightly dropping open. She threw her head back and laughed loudly, causing most of those gathered to look their way as Sakura lost her composure at the shocked look on her mate's face.


End file.
